The Thaw
Today I skinned and stuffed my second pheasant, putting it in a closed (standing, wings shut) mount. After skinning and removing all bits of fat and flesh, I gave it a bath. Here it is drying.
After the bath the skin gets tumbled in sawdust for about five minutes and then dried and fluffed with a hair dryer. I had a little more trouble working the wires through the legs of this guy, but again I am pleased with the result. I am hoping that over time my speed improves, however; I feel like molasses every time I look over and see the other student about four or five steps ahead of me. Thankfully she smokes so she can go outside and rest while I catch up.
The feathers are set with plastic wrap and my eye mistakes fixed with pins for now. Later on I will create a proper environment for him to occupy, with reeds and moss, etc.
The feathers are set with plastic wrap and my eye mistakes fixed with pins for now. Later on I will create a proper environment for him to occupy, with reeds and moss, etc.
Later on we learned how to use our airbrush kits; I am not taking to it as easily as I’d like. Once I master the control factor though, I should be golden. After we had the basics down, we gave a bit of color to some duck feet and even painted some artificial Mallard heads!
I went home and worked on my hoop, then ran errands and tidied up the cabin. Afterwards I fixed myself a martini and watched “The Mother”, which took two more martinis to undue the trauma inflicted upon me by the sheer unexpected and shocking content
This is video footage of me going through the various treasures form my freezer; often I’ll forget what I’ve stashed in there until I take it all out.
I also wished to acknowledge my appreciation of my place in the cycle of life.
-Beth Beverly
Swellco & Swellco 21474b
Tags: Beth Beverly, foreign film the mother, mallard head, stuffed game animals, stuffed pheasant, taxidermy art, taxidermy school
